The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry

Nuclear weapons do not make a country safe.

Mr. Umarov said that Kazakhstan fully supports a proposal by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to adopt a nuclear weapons convention, noting the suggestion of his country’s president that, as an important step in that direction, the United Nations should adopt a Universal Declaration of a Nuclear Weapon-Free World.

Africa: Nuclear Weapons Are No ‘Guarantee of Security,’ Kazakh Foreign Ministers Tells UN Debate AllAfrica.com 30 Sept 12, The inability of nuclear weapons to guarantee a country’s security or independence was highlighted in the speech of Kazakhstan’s Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kairat Umarov, to the United Nations General Assembly today.

“The threat of proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology, along
with the spectre of their acquisition and use by terrorist entities,
has been one of the most daunting challenges to humanity,” the Foreign
Affairs Minister told the 67th Assembly’s General Debate at UN
Headquarters in New York today.

“It is our strong view that the possession of weapons of mass
destruction is not a guarantee of security or greater independence.
Kazakhstan’s own record goes to show that countries reap huge benefits
from the renunciation of nuclear weapons,” he added.

The Central Asian nation closed down its nuclear weapons site
Semipalatinsk, one of the largest test sites in the world and located
in the country’s north-east, in 1991. As a result of this, the Foreign
Affairs Minister noted, Kazakhstan has “won more friends and [has]
become a more prosperous, stable and influential country.” “This year,
we will complete the project to enhance physical security of the
former Semipalatinsk test site,” he said. “We view this project, which
is being implemented jointly with the United States and Russia, as our
significant contribution to the global non-proliferation regime.”

Mr. Umarov said that Kazakhstan fully supports a proposal by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to adopt a nuclear weapons convention, noting the suggestion of his country’s president that, as an important step in that direction, the United Nations should adopt a Universal Declaration of a Nuclear Weapon-Free World.

“This will, undoubtedly, facilitate our advancement towards a nuclear
weapon-free world and an early adoption of a nuclear weapons
convention,” the Foreign Affairs Minister said, while also calling for
the “early establishment” of a nuclear weapon-free zone in the Middle
East…… http://allafrica.com/stories/201209300429.html

Related

Many of the remaining user states were sold DU ammunition by the US or are thought to have inherited it following the breakup of the USSR.

The vast majority of DU ammunition falls into the category of large calibre tank ammunition (ranging from 105mm to 125mm). Much ammunition of this type could theoretically be fired from tanks of other nations; while it is difficult to prove or disprove the presence of DU ammunition in national inventories, producer states do not appear to have widely exported their ammunition.

DU Ammunition which does not fall into this category includes 25mm and 30mm rounds fired by US Bradley Fighting Vehicles and A-10 aircraft, 25mm rounds for the Phalanx ship defence system (now mostly phased out in favour of a tungsten round), some variants of the Russian R-60 air-to-air missile.

This list of users and weapons is a work in progress, and should not be regarded as exhaustive:

[…]

Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan operates ex-Soviet T-72 tanks which are capable of firing 125mm DU ammunition. As with other ex-Soviet states, it may have inherited Soviet DU ammunition following the breakup of the USSR.

After 40 years of increasing disquiet over depleted uranium (DU), the UK’s last operational DU tank munition – CHARM3 – is nearing the end of its shelf-life. DU weapons are chemically toxic and radioactive. Their use (especially in Iraq) generates a hazardous legacy that states recovering from conflict struggle to monitor and mitigate. CHARM3’s propellant charge expires in 2013 and the decision to renew or reject DU munitions may provide an opportunity for us in government.

Unlike the US and France, the UK has not upgraded its anti-tank ammunition in over a decade. This is due to the technical limitations of the current ammunition system. The Challenger 2 tank’s rifled gun relies on non-NATO standard bespoke ammunition – leaving the MoD unable to buy off the shelf, with serious implications for effective procurement.

Conscience of this, the MoD undertook trials which demonstrated superior performance from a NATO standard gun and Tungsten (non-DU) ammunition. The MoD says that this upgrade would also offer considerable cost savings.

Following the treaties banning anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions DU is expected to be the next controversial weapon subject to an international ban. The European Parliament has passed four resolutions on DU, the most recent of which in 2008 called for an immediate European moratorium on DU munitions and efforts towards a global treaty ban. Three UN General Assembly resolutions on the issue (2007, 2008, 2010) have garnered increasing support from many of the UK’s EU and NATO partners.

DU weapons have been banned in Costa Rica and Belgium and legislation is under development in Ireland and New Zealand. Campaigners argue that an international treaty ban on DU weapons would set a valuable precedent by synthesising elements of arms control and environmental law, encouraging the increased protection of human and environmental health during conflict.

Liberal Democrats and DU

Liberal Democrats who have been supportive of efforts to ban DU include; eight members of the All Party Group on Depleted Uranium, 22 and 17 MPs who signed EDM 825 and EDM 2318 respectively and all of our MEPs who voted for the EU 2008 resolution (which Liz Lynne MEP actually tabled on behalf of the ALDE). Within Westminster, supportive MPs include party president Tim Farron, former leaders Ming Campbell and Charles Kennedy, backbench co-spokesperson for Defence Martin Horwood and our member on the Defence Select committee Sir Bob Russell. As Shadow Defence Secretary, Nick Harvey tabled a number of parliamentary questions on the issues of civilian and service personnel health, and alternatives to DU weapons.

A strong position on DU would help differentiate the party from the Conservatives, creating a distinctive area of policy. Also notable is the political capital New Labour gained by signing the 1997 Convention on land-mines and the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions. Liberal Democrat support for a move away from DU would reflect growing international concern and provide an opportunity for significant political gains.

Martin ‘Lev’ Eakins was elected to Manchester City Council when he gained a seat off Labour in 2008. He also stood for parliament in Wythenshawe & Sale East in the 2010 general election.

* Lev Eakins is a former Manchester Councillor and parliamentary candidate who now lives in Sussex.

The global movement for a clean non nuclear future – theme for March 2015

The nuclear lobby, the corporate establishment, governments and the mainstream media just don’t “get it”. But the world is moving away from top-down, centrally organised, vertically structured systems. Nuclear power, even that last ditch hope, “little” nuclear reactors – all are part of the out-dated systems.

There’s still a place for some centralised systems, with renewable energy transported by the grid. But along with the now horizontally organised communications – net-working across the world, grow the flexible and versatile systems of decentralised electricity generation.

Above all – the ever more rapid spread of ideas and campaigns. Some, we know, are harmful campaigns. But the movement for clean energy is unstoppable – spreading as it does from person to person – not relying on organisation by authorities and experts.

Indigenous campaigns lead the way – whether it be in America, Australia, Malaysia – indigenous peoples have already shown how they can slow down, even stop, the nuclear juggernaut.